Target Exam

CUET

Subject

English

Chapter

Comprehension - (Poetry / Literary)

Question:

Read the following poem given below and answer the question.

LOVE AND A QUESTION

A STRANGER came to the door at eve,
And he spoke the bridegroom fair.
He bore a green-white stick in his hand,
And, for all burden, care.
He asked with the eyes more than the lips
For a shelter for the night,
And he turned and looked at the road afar
Without a window light.

The bridegroom came forth into the porch
With "Let us look at the sky,
And question what of the night to be,
Stranger, you and I."
The woodbine leaves littered the yard,
The woodbine berries were blue,
Autumn, yes, winter was in the wind;
"Stranger, I wish I knew."

Within, the bride in the dusk alone
Bent over the open fire,
Her face rose-red with the glowing coal
And the thought of the heart's desire.
The bridegroom looked at the weary road,
Yet saw but her within,
And wished her heart in a case of gold
And pinned with a silver pin.

The bridegroom thought it little to give
a dole of bread, a purse,
A heartfelt prayer for the poor of God,
Or for the rich a curse,
But whether or not a man was asked
To mar the love of two
By harboring woe in the bridal house,
The bridegroom wished he knew.

Match List – I with List – II.

List – I
(Aspects in poem)

 List – II
 (Stanzas)

 (A) Contrast between the warm house and cold outside

 (I) Stanza II

 (B) Ethical dilemma of the bridegroom

 (II) Stanza III 

 (C) Eerie atmosphere due to dark night and harsh weather  

 (III) Stanza I

 (D) The stranger's mental state

 (IV) Stanza IV

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Options:

(A)-(III), (B)-(II), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)

(A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(III)

(A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)

(A)-(II), (B)-(I), (C)-(IV), (D)-(III)

Correct Answer:

(A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(III)

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) - (A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(III)

List – I
(Aspects in poem)

 List – II
 (Stanzas)

 (A) Contrast between the warm house and cold outside

 (II) Stanza III

 (B) Ethical dilemma of the bridegroom

  (IV) Stanza IV

 (C) Eerie atmosphere due to dark night and harsh weather  

 (I) Stanza II

 (D) The stranger's mental state

 (III) Stanza I

Here's the breakdown:

  • (A) Contrast between the warm house and cold outside: This is captured in Stanza III. The bride is inside by the warm fire, while the groom and stranger are outside considering the cold weather and the dark road.

  • (B) Ethical dilemma of the bridegroom: The bridegroom's internal conflict about whether to allow the stranger in and potentially disrupt the newlywed's happiness is explored in Stanza IV. He weighs the importance of charity against the potential "woe" the stranger might bring.

  • (C) Eerie atmosphere due to dark night and harsh weather: Stanza II is where the weather and the coming night are specifically mentioned ("Autumn, yes, winter was in the wind," and the lack of window light on the road).

  • (D) The stranger's mental state: Stanza I describes him as bearing "care" and asking for shelter "with eyes more than lips," which directly speaks to his mental state.